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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23658058">The Young Mage</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tommykaine/pseuds/Tommykaine'>Tommykaine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Touch of Wolfsbane [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fantastic Racism, Gen, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:14:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23658058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tommykaine/pseuds/Tommykaine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a child out there, a young elf not even a day older than 50 who knew how to do real magic. The details were muddy, but what was known was that he showed off his powers to shame a street charlatan and that many commoners had witnessed the act and would swear by the Gods that it was the truth.<br/>It did not take long for the word to reach the mouths of the nobles, and from there to reach the ears of King Thorandir.<br/>Skepticism had been his first reaction, soon mixed with the small seed of an idea, and from that a small hope had sprouted in his heart.<br/>Still, before making any concrete plans he had wanted to confirm the child's powers by himself. That was why he had summoned the young mage in the royal palace.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Minor or Background Relationship(s), Original Male Character &amp; Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Touch of Wolfsbane [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Young Mage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForgottenLoveSong/gifts">ForgottenLoveSong</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>There was a child out there, a young elf not even a day older than 50 who knew how to do real magic. The details were muddy, but what was known was that he showed off his powers to shame a street charlatan and that many commoners had witnessed the act and would swear by the Gods that it was the truth.</p><p>It did not take long for the word to reach the mouths of the nobles, and from there to reach the ears of King Thorandir.</p><p>Skepticism had been his first reaction, soon mixed with the small seed of an idea, and from that a small hope had sprouted in his heart.</p><p>Still, before making any concrete plans he had wanted to confirm the child's powers by himself. That was why he had summoned the young mage in the royal palace.</p><p>The envoy that was sent to pick up the child had found him in a humble orphanage managed by a stern woman whom the children simply referred to as "Madame". She'd been greeted with reverence and, as soon as the reason for her travel had been revealed, the Madame had hurried to bring a small blond child in front of her and whisper to him something she couldn't quite make out. If she had to guess she imagined it was some kind of warning about good behavior.</p><p>She'd led the child back to the carriage in which she came from and went back inside with him and with the guards that had escorted her.</p><p>"King Thorandir has personally requested your presence", the envoy explained once they were on the carriage, eyeing the orphan with a mixture of disapproval and worry. "It is a great honor. You best remember to thank him and tell him how honored you are to meet His Majesty in person". Her ice blue eyes had scanned him from head to toe, taking note of his poor clothing, his bruises, his unbrushed hair that covered half of his face. What her king might want from a commoner child was beyond her grasp, even one who supposedly could do magic. They already had a royal mage at court after all and he'd been at the king's service for centuries.</p><p>Aside from her remark, the journey was mostly silent and uneventful. The closer they came to the palace the more the view on the streets outside changed as they left the outskirts of the kingdom and entered the territories where the nobles resided, until finally the royal palace was in sight.</p><p>The carriage passed through the luxurious front garden and many heads turned to look at them. Once they eventually reached the main entrance, the envoy moved first, checking to see that the orphan was still following her.</p><p>"Don't run off on your own. You have no business walking around the palace unattended", she warned him before he could even set foot inside.</p><p>She did not bring him in front of the king right away. Firstly she sent him to be washed properly and clothed with something that did not stink of mold, waiting patiently outside while the servants took care of that. Once he walked out of the door he still looked like he hadn't had a proper meal and there was not much to be done for his bruises, but at least he was clean and wearing something proper for a meeting with His Majesty.</p><p>"Why are you hiding your gaze?", the envoy scolded him, seeing that his hair had been brushed but still covered half of his face. She reached out to brush it behind his ear and then gasped as the gesture revealed the odd-colored eye hiding underneath.</p><p>Her face turned red and her eyes seemed even colder. She sternly ordered him to stay there and not move, instructing the guards to keep an eye on him, then ran off to inform the king about the horrible mistake that had been made.</p><p>"Your Majesty", she had said. "I am terribly sorry, the child has been brought here, but...".</p><p>"They do not know how to do magic". Thorandir did not sound too surprised. Deep down, he had expected that would be the case. He hid his disappointment from the envoy, not wanting to show how much the news had upset him.</p><p>"I- that I do not know yet. But what I meant to say is that the child is a half-breed, so surely there is no use that he could have for you".</p><p>The king turned towards her, a look of shock on his face.</p><p>A child of mixed blood. An heretic creature.</p><p>And yet, this child apparently possessed strong magic.</p><p>He pinched the bridge of his nose between forefinger and thumb, deep in thought.</p><p>Could he really allow someone with tainted blood to take care of such a delicate task, to protect the most precious thing in the whole reign? Could he of all people really permit such a thing?</p><p>And yet, wouldn't he do anything, anything at all if it meant keeping his most important treasure safe?</p><p>After a few long minutes he looked back at the envoy - who still looked deeply mortified as if the fact that the child was a half-breed was her own personal failure.</p><p>"What sort of half-breed?".</p><p>The question confused the other elf. "I don't... a human, I'd imagine. He looked like an elf, but then I saw his eyes. They are of different colors, a clear sign of mixing of the species".</p><p>King Thorandir remained silent for a few more moments, mulling over those words. A half-human... the thought of a mixed blood child so close to his family still disturbed him, but at least it was a half-human. There were some half-human servants employed in the palace. They were a lesser affront to the Gods than, say, a half-orc or some other unthinkable abomination of that sort.</p><p>Finally, with a deep sigh he came to his decision.</p><p>"Bring him in".</p><p>The envoy seemed both shocked and surprised at those words. She opened her mouth as if to question him, but then closed it again and nodded. It was an order, not a request, so her opinion was not needed nor desired.</p><p>"As you wish, Your Majesty", she said with a small bow before leaving the room.</p><p>She made her way back to the orphan, praying to every single God to find him back there and not learn he had tried to sneak past the guards to go somewhere else in the palace.</p><p>Thankfully it seemed her fears were unfounded. The child was almost exactly where she had left him.</p><p>"Come", she ordered him, her expression clearly showing her disapproval. She noticed he'd covered part of his face again to hide the mismatched eye, but this time she didn't scold him for that. She wasn't sure of which offense would be greater, if covering his face or unabashedly showing off the proof of his mixed heritage.</p><p>Once they both reached the king's quarters, the envoy pushed the child forward towards him.</p><p>"Here he is, Your Majesty".</p><p>"Very well", the king said. "You can leave".</p><p>Once again the envoy opened her mouth to protest, and once again she shut it just in time. Her body stiffened but she nodded and turned to leave, throwing one last warning glance at the child as if to silently warn him not to do anything foolish.</p><p>King Thorandir strode towards the child, stopping almost right in front of him. He was very tall, with long silver hair partially pulled back in a series of thin braids, a golden and gem-studded crown adorning the top of his head as a symbol of his power over the land. His skin was as pale as alabaster, his face marred by a few scars.</p><p>His expression was stern as his grey eyes scanned the small elf in front of him. He circled around him, then stopped in front of him again and crossed his arms.</p><p>"What is your name, child?", he asked, his tone firm and commanding.</p><p>"Theadus", came the answer. Not an elven name, the king did not fail to notice, but he did not remark on it.</p><p>"Do you know why you are here?".</p><p>The child shook his head. He seemed to be intimidated, which was not a surprise.</p><p>"Do not fear, little one. No harm will come to you", Thorandir said. "You are here because I have heard you are able to do magic. Is it true?".</p><p>The child nodded, then quickly added: "Yes, Your Majesty".</p><p>Thorandir took a deep breath. This was it, the moment to find out if it had all been a trick or if he really found something worthwhile.</p><p>"I want you to show me. Light this candle for me", the king ordered, pointing towards it. He did not know a lot about magic, but he knew that much was a fairly simple and basic task. If he could not even do that much he would know his time had been wasted and he would send the child back to the orphanage.</p><p>The young elf murmured something, made a gesture with his hands, and sure enough a small flame started burning and consuming the candle.</p><p>The small spark of hope inside the king's heart was reignited as well.</p><p>"Very well. But I'm sure you can do more than that..."</p><p>He spent quite some time testing the child's abilities, until he was finally convinced that the other could not be tricking him in some way. He would still need to consult with the royal mage to confirm the extent of his powers, but for the time being he was satisfied by what he saw.</p><p>"Who taught you how to do magic?".</p><p>The child seemed confused and almost offended by the question.</p><p>"No one, Your Majesty".</p><p>"All of this, you learned on your own?". Thorandir was skeptical. However, it did not really matter for him as long as his abilities were confirmed. "I will have to ask Saeque to test your skills, young mage. I need you to have full control of your powers for your task".</p><p>"My task?". The young elf seemed confused.</p><p>"You will watch over my child, prince Eilith", Thorandir explained. "You will use your powers to keep him safe from any harm. I cannot trust to leave him alone unattended but he cannot always stay by my side. He needs someone to protect him and stay with him".</p><p>His words clearly came as a surprise to the young elf. Thorandir could imagine it was quite a shock, to go from being a poor orphan to guarding the prince's life, but he did not care.</p><p>"Let it be clear this is no charity. You will guard him and protect him at the cost of your life if needed. If you fail, you will wish you were dead". Thorandir's voice grew cold and threatening, the same tone he used to chastise his soldiers back when he rode into battle with them. "You will be fed and clothed and sleep in the palace with the prince, but never forget your place. Is that clear, Theadus?".</p><p>The young elf was still staring at him in shock and disbelief. The elf king clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing.</p><p>"I asked you a question".</p><p>"Y-yes, Your Majesty! I understand".</p><p>"Good". Thorandir's expression softened ever so slightly. "Then come with me".</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Eilith was in his room, sitting on the floor and playing with a toy knight when he was interrupted by a knock at his door. He looked up as it was opened and smiled at his father, the king. However then he noticed someone else he didn't know, another child that looked about his age or slightly younger. His pointed ears moved backwards, his blue eyes scrutinizing him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.</p><p>"Good afternoon, Eilith. I have someone I want you to meet", Thorandir said, pushing the unknown kid forward.</p><p>"I... my name is Theadus, Your Highness".</p><p>Eilith reluctantly got up, still clutching his doll as if he was worried the other kid would try to steal it.</p><p>"Good afternoon father, Theadus".</p><p>"This young elf will be with you from now on", Thorandir explained. "You told me you were sad about being alone now that I am so busy, didn't you? Theadus will keep you company and watch over you for me. So try to get along".</p><p>And with that, the king left and closed the door, leaving Theadus to stand there alone in front of the prince.</p><p>Eilith brought a hand to his necklace, playing with it like he did every time he was nervous. He felt shy and awkward in front of the other kid, but he didn't want to be rude. Theadus also seemed not to know what to do, he just stood there and waited as if he expected him to tell him what was expected of him.</p><p>"Uhm, do you have any toys?", Eilith finally asked, and the other boy shook his head. "Do you want to see my knights?".</p><p>He brought him to see his small collection from a shelf in his room.</p><p>"This is Cladeth of Rilynnurdren", he explained, picking up one of the dolls and showing it to him, hesitating a few moments before handing it to him so he could have a closer look. He never really shared his toys with anyone so he was a bit nervous the other might let it fall or break it. "She fought in the Great Battle of the Rivers. And this is-"</p><p>He went on to show him each toy and explain what he knew about the knight it represented. His father gave him a new one for each birthday and told him the tales of those battles.</p><p>"My father too was a warrior. He told me he fought many battles. But now he has to watch over the kingdom alone, so he cannot fight anymore", Eilith explained to Theadus once he was done showing him all the knights. "Do you want to play with me? You can be Sharuil The Great".</p><p>After the initial hesitance, Eilith was starting to enjoy the other's presence. He did not often get to play with other children. Sometimes he would get to meet the son of some noble or another prince, but mostly he played on his own. When he'd been younger his father would play with him, but he was busy and now that Eilith was older he was left alone more often.</p><p>In truth, that was why the king had brought Theadus there. He could not ignore the needs of the kingdom to focus on his child, but he also felt bad neglecting Eilith and did not think he was safe on his own even with the guards keeping watch. The child mage was powerful enough to protect him and too young to be scheming some evil plan against the prince.</p><p>The king was cunning and knew that he would get attached to Eilith, maybe think of him as a friend even. He would nurture that friendship but also remind him of his place, so that the mage would become faithful to the prince and know that his life was to be dedicated to him. Know that his worth was tied to the prince's well-being, that it had to be his reason for living.</p><p>And, with that, he would ensure his obedience.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story is part of the <a href="https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject">LLF Comment Project</a>, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Feedback</p><ul>
<li>Short comments</li>
<li>Long comments</li>
<li>Questions</li>
<li>Constructive criticism</li>
<li>“&lt;3” as extra kudos</li>
<li>Reader-reader interaction</li>
</ul><p>I normally reply to all comments so if you do not wish for your comment to be replied to for any reason, please add "hush" somewhere in it and I will quietly appreciate it instead.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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